


Pumpkin Smash

by GinIsBetterThanFirewhiskey



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Shopping, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Grocery Shopping, Grocery Store
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28274355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinIsBetterThanFirewhiskey/pseuds/GinIsBetterThanFirewhiskey
Summary: On Christmas Eve, Ginny sends Harry to the grocery store for one simple thing. Surely, it shouldn't be that hard to find?
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26
Collections: 2020 Hinny Discord Incognito Elf Exchange!





	Pumpkin Smash

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Discord Incognito Elf 2020. 
> 
> To Adenei with love.
> 
> Thanks to Dusk for everything.

The warmth of the morning sunbeams hit Harry’s eyelids, slowly waking him out of his sleep. He blinked a couple of times, his eyes sensitive to the light, and yawned, lifting up his arms to his neck. He felt rested for the first time in a while. 

Rubbing his left eye, he turned his head on his pillow, already missing Ginny’s warmth and comforting presence at his sides. She’d moved to Grimmauld Place just last month, and Harry wondered how he’d been able to ever sleep without her in his arms. 

Sighing, he took his time to laze in the bed, snoozing once or twice, and enjoying his stress-free early hours of the first day of his holiday. Ginny had a practice with the Holyheads that morning, her last one before being free for Christmas time. 

They had decided to spend the day baking and cooking for the dinner at the Burrow, and finishing wrapping the last presents they had bought yesterday. A small smile grazing his lips, Harry placed his glasses on his nose, thinking about the perfect day ahead of him. Ginny should arrive after lunch, and he couldn’t wait to embrace her and cuddle a little on the couch. 

Harry concluded he’d stayed in bed for enough time, and stood up, going directly to the shower to revitalize his senses and already craving a big mug of coffee. 

Once it was done, Harry killed the time by listening to the wireless on the couch and sipping his morning coffee. He leaned his head on the couch backrest, his eyes closed, and concentrated on the cheerful voice of the morning reporter. He’d decided to do nothing until Ginny arrived, feeling the need to rest his sore muscles and to take it easy for the next hours. 

The time passed, the birds outside and their distant whistlings being nice companions to his quiet morning. He felt himself about to fall asleep again when a Patronus ran in the living room, smashing his serenity and peacefulness with force. 

Noticing it was Ginny’s, he straightened up, frowning, his nerves now awoken, and waited for her soft voice to bloom in his ears.

“Harry, could you go to the grocery store to buy the pumpkin smash for the desserts, please? I’m stuck at practice for another couple of hours and we could just start them earlier when I arrive.”

Harry sighed and swished his wand in the air to create his own patronus, intending to respond to Ginny.

“Gin, I don’t even know what kind of pumpkin smash you want and last time you sent me, I bought everything wrong and you weren’t happy. I’d like to avoid that again. Wouldn’t it be better if we go together later or if you stop at the grocery store by yourself after your practice?”

He watched his enormous stag run out of the wall, and let himself collapse on the cushion, contemplating the idea to make her believe he’d fallen asleep while he was awaiting Ginny's response. Ron would laugh at him if he’d know Harry had been deprived of the few hours of lack of tasks he had to go fetch some grocery items for his sister, but Harry didn’t really mind, since he’d longed for these domesticated chores shared with someone dear to his heart all his life.

An instant later, her patronus shuffled in the room, breaking the silence. “It’s super easy. It’s just a pumpkin smash. I believe in you. Come on.”

Wincing, Harry squeezed his eyes shut, his aspiration of doing nothing crumbling. He could only agree with her that pumpkin smash shouldn’t be that difficult to find, and feeling confident, he sent her a patronus again, announcing to her he was on his way to the grocery store. 

Perhaps he should have asked her to wish him good luck. 

* * *

There were a ton of wizards and witches in a hurry to finish their last purchases for Christmas, making it difficult to move comfortably into the well-decorated rows. 

Harry had already received two bumps of shoulders, excused himself an accountable time, and missed by a fraction to receive many pointy hats in his eyes. His patience was running low, so he breathed heavily, hoping to find the can of pumpkin smash as soon as possible and to resume his peaceful activities in the comfort of their home. 

Alas, before he reached the row where the cans of pumpkin smash were, Ginny’s patronus barged in the store, attracting the attention of some nosy witches, whose, to his total enjoyment, rushed into a cart in their will to pry. 

“Oh I forgot to tell you. Mum used the pumpkin smash with a lot of cinnamon in it. It’s a special brand; it begins with the word Spicy or Spiced, or maybe Cinnamon? Something like that. Thanks, love you.”

Harry groaned and then swore under his breath. Of course it was a special brand she’d want. “It’s easy, Harry, it’s just pumpkin smash,” he mumbled. 

Avoiding the tip of an old woman’s wand, he hurried to the right row, hoping it would soon be over and deciding he could even put on some pyjama pants for a reward. Reaching the cans, he squinted his eyes, searching for a brand beginning with Spicy or Spiced, but without success. His wistful eyes fell on the cans of the popular pumpkin smash he’d have bought, and he sighed. 

“Gin, your brand’s not there. Can I just take the normal one?” he said in his wand, and then watched his patronus exit the grocery store. 

He waited in front of the cans, moving on the side to give space to the multiple persons searching for pumpkin smashes too, and envied every one of them when he saw them find what they wanted. 

Crossing his arms and feeling like a fool, he waited for Ginny’s answer. He was about to just take the popular brand and be done with it when he felt something buzzing in the pocket of his cloak. 

Remembering he’d left his two-ways mirror in it, he patted his pockets, and then scrambled to take it out. Opening it, Ginny’s annoyed face appeared, and he couldn’t help but smile like a soppy prat when he saw her eyes looking at him.

“What d’mean there’s not my brand there? Are you sure you looked at the right place? Are you in the right row?” she asked him.

Harry narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you serious right now?” he said, and Ginny winced, and then bit her lip like he adored. 

“Okay, okay. Sorry,” she said, and then hummed. Her eyes illuminated. “Turn the mirror, I’ll look.”

“What?” he said, glancing at a woman who was listening. He frowned at her, squaring his jaw and the woman turned her head, realising she’d been seen. The blood rushed to her cheeks. It was clear she wanted to disappear from Harry’s angry eyes and hence, took a can of strawberry jelly and turned on her heel at an impressive speed. In her haste, she hit him with her purse, and Harry flinched. Days like these, he’d like to have another face and be capable of avoiding everyone’s eyes, scrutinizing all his moves and desires. He lost himself in his muse, the cans blurring in front of him.

“Harry? Harry? Love? Is everything okay? Harry? Is there someone bothering you? Do you need me?” he heard Ginny ask, her voice filled with worries. “Harry?” 

He turned his attention to her, her voice snapping him out of his trance. Determined to diminish her anxiety, he shook his head at the mirror. “Sorry, yes. I’m fine. Don’t worry, Gin. But I knew it, Ginny! I knew it. Every time, I don’t find what you want,” he replied, feeling a tiredness in his muscles.

“It’s not true! Well, not totally true anyway,” she said, and Harry lifted an eyebrow at her, making his point. “Would you just turn the mirror?”

Harry closed his eyes and sighed, and then turned the mirror for her to see the row. He moved it from left to right, and he could watch Ginny’s eyes moving, totally concentrated on her task.

He heard her sighed in exasperation, and he turned the mirror to his face, a smirk on his lips. “I told you, miss Weasley. Now can I just--”

“Have you searched in the homemade section? Maybe it’s there.”

Harry’s eyes lifted to the ceiling, drained of energy and yearning a warm bath. “Brillant,” he whispered, turning his head to look at the busy alleys and the people making it difficult to move because of their carts blocking the way. 

“You’re not happy right now, aren’t you?” Ginny asked, making a grimace. 

Harry gave her a grunt in response and he heard her contagious laugh, one still making his heart hammered in his chest after all this time together. 

“What does that groan mean?” she asked, her eyes sparkling.

“It means that I love you but I deeply miss my pyjamas,” he responded, shifting his eyes to hers.

“How much do you love me?” she asked with a smirk.

“To be here alone on Christmas Eve? Very much so I’d say,” he answered, and began his journey in the chaos of the grocery store.

Ginny’s eyes turned sorrowful. “Oh no, I’m sorry, Harry. You should have told me you really didn’t want to go, it wasn’t that much of a necessity to go early,” she told him, but he shook his head to deny it; he’d soon be over and it was true they’d have more time to enjoy their evening together. Plus, it wasn’t like she was sending him to his death.

“If it helps, you’re adorable with your grumpy face. And I’ll make a special batch of treacle tart just for you,” she added sweetly, blowing a kiss in the mirror. 

Despite his displeasure, Harry failed to hide his smile, his chest filling with warmth. Ginny knew she’d have had his interest with a treacle tart and it was, in Harry’s opinion, completely and utterly unfair. He settled for humming his appreciation, a crease between his eyebrows, and Ginny chuckled. Lowering his eyes, he watched where he was putting his feet, careful to not walk on someone else’s cloak. 

He let his hand holding the mirror drop at his side to slip more comfortably between two witches who were chatting in the center like it was the best moment for that. Escaping the tumult of the row filled with boxes of festive chocolates, he searched for the homemade section, fighting the urge to apparate home.

“I’m sorry, I thought it would be just there, next to the brand we used last time,” he heard Ginny’s sad and muffled voice said in the mirror. 

He raised the mirror to his face, remembering Ginny was still there, and forced himself to smile. The last thing he wanted was for Ginny to feel bad like that for a can of pumpkin smash. “That’s fine, love. I’ll find what you want, don’t worry about it. Just, next time, we go together, please,” he told her, his voice soft, turning the corner to go in the next alley. 

He noticed Ginny’s eyes giving him a fond look. “The idea was fine on paper, we’d have been able to start sooner and then have a nice evening together.”

He squinted at a sign above a row, pursing his lips when he noted it wasn’t the good one. “Yeah, I know. It’d have been amazing. Just, trust your auror boyfriend’s gut. I. knew. it.” he said, just a tiny bit amused. 

“Blablabla,” she replied, and then poked her tongue at him and he couldn’t help mimicking her. 

“Ouch! Oh, sorry-no it was me, sorry, Merry Christmas,” Harry said to an old man, who sent him a courteous smile, and once out of his sight, Harry puffed out his cheeks with air, getting a hold on his patience. 

“Harry?” Ginny spoke in the mirror.

“Everyone walks on everyone’s feet, it’s crazy, Gin. Next time, we don’t go together on Christmas Eve, we just don’t go at all,” he said through his clenched teeth, his breath short. “There’s so many other things I’d have in mind we could do together for tonight then making cookies, one involving a hot bath and some elf-made wine--”

“Mmm, sounds nice.”

“Right? I thought so too,” Harry answered, his breath short by dint of searching for the right row through the anarchy in front of his eyes. “I just-- I’ll call you in a minute,” he told her, realising he needed to focus to advance, and then hung up, placing the mirror in his cloak.

“Bloody pumpkin smash,” he grumbled, brushing past a wizard who seemed as lost as him. The man saluted him with a nod of his head, and Harry reciprocated it.

Crossing the Homemade sign, he breathed in a sigh of relief and headed to the center, where he imagined the cans would be. He adjusted his glasses on his nose, then made sure to read all the labels with attention, and even squatted to search for them. There was a vacant spot in the row, and Harry felt his blood rush in his veins when he read the label. Of course, there wasn’t any more of it. He double-checked, digging behind every can in hopes to find a lost one, but with no avail.

He licked his dry lips, taking out his phone from his pocket. The phone buzzed in his hand for a minute and then stopped, turning off. “Oh now she’s busy,” he muttered, closing his tired eyes and feeling the beginning of a headache pumping on his temples, the irritating Christmas song in the store not helping his cause. 

Moving his wand again towards the mirror, he held his breath, hoping she’d answer his call this time. It didn’t take long before he saw Ginny appearing, strands of hair escaping her ponytail, and her cheeks rosy. 

“Sorry, I had to hide in the loo,” she began, out of breath. 

He smiled in response. “It’s not there, they don’t have any anymore.”

“What? Are you sure?”

“Ginevra,” Harry said with his famous authoritarian tone, beginning to feel hot in his heavy cloak, thus his patience getting thin. Ginny’s reaction was instantaneous: he saw her eyes flash, and despite his annoyance of the situation, he winked at her reflection. 

She huffed, and crossed her arms. He saw her brows furrowed, like she was contemplating her next move. “Oh well, take the one we used last time and buy some cinnamon. I’ll just add it myself.”

Harry’s eyes wide, not believing what he just heard. “But why didn’t you tell me to buy this in the first--”

Ginny cut him before he finished his sentence. “Oh and don’t forget to take the brand at the complete right of the row, the one in the small red bag, it’s fresher.”


End file.
